My use of ICT – iPod (personal)

My iPOD is a 20GB white iPOD. Me and my brother bought it about a year and a half ago to share between us. We decided to get that particular model of iPOD because, although it wasn't cheap, it had a very large memory so that meant we could store both of our music on it as we like very different music.

To load the songs onto the iPOD you have to have a computer. With the iPOD comes a program to go on your computer called iTUNES. You load the songs onto this program via the disk drive on your computer. Then you connect up the iPOD to the computer and the iPOD automatically begins to download the songs onto it.

Describe how the ICT is being used

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I use the iPOD mostly to listen to music, tell the time, and occasionally play games when I am extremely bored. My brother uses the iPOD for the same reasons although he likes to play the games on it more than me. I like listening to music, I often listen to it while on my paper round every morning. I have found it invaluable on long journeys, with me and my brother stuck in a car together for many hours. For the occasion when both me and my brother want to listen to at the same time we bought a splitter and an extra pair of headphones. So in that way we listen to music together. We can also, which is very useful too, plug it into the sound system in the car so the whole family can listen. I don't just use my iPOD to store music on though. Because my iPOD has a huge memory I can put on story tapes like the Harry Potter CD's. So we can listen to them in the car as well. I use the iPOD to occasionally tell the time too, it's clock has been useful on several occasions when I haven't had my phone with me.

The advantages of using this technology

I really like the iPOD. It is a clever design and has many advantages. Firstly, it can be used in so many different ways, plugged into headphones, into the computer speakers, into CD player speakers, into car speakers, it's so easy! In this way it has encouraged the use of more music. Music relaxes many but gives them the freedom of listening to what you want, when you want. I find it useful on the airplane too as its so small and portable. It has a huge memory too so there is a very high limit to the number songs it holds, something like 5,000. Unlike the CD player, it rarely jogs. This is useful in general. However, having a hard disk, it can be damaged by shaking.

The disadvantages of using this technology

To transfer music onto the iPOD you have to have a computer. If someone doesn't have a computer, the iPOD is pretty useless. We do have a computer, but it is quite heavily used so I find it hard to find enough time for it to sit there and upload music onto it. I think the iPOD also can encourage illegal copying of music. The majority of music recorded on iPOD's are in breach of copyright laws. I personally try not to do this, as the music companies will end up loosing money. However it is very hard to feel sympathetic towards them when you here about them ripping off all these small, new, defenseless bands. I do feel that I could be breaking copyright laws, but I really don't know exactly what constitutes breaking the copyright. I know that you aren't meant to copy CD's between friends but what about if me and my brother have paid half and half for a CD? Are we only allowed to put it on one iPOD? Since I am not sure of the finer points of copyright, I don't really worry that much if I break it. Another bad point of the iPOD is that listening to very loud music played directly into your ears can damage them.

I have been told off by my mum many times for playing music too loudly. Because people are listening to music they are not so aware of their surroundings so people are more likely to walk out in front of cars or get mugged. Music that is bought on iTunes cannot be used on any other MP3 players and vice-versa. iPOD's are also iconic. Many people, including me, think of iPOD's to be the main MP3 player this makes them very expensive. The other is that iPOD's get old very quickly. The makers keep bringing out new versions with added things. For example, as soon as we got ours, they brought out the same one with the ability to play videos for the same price. This is annoying but good business for the makers as they make money from us as we keep buying newer versions of their products.

If I lived in a time without iPOD's I would have to play my music on a CD player or even on tapes. The tapes get chewed up and CD players just aren't as portable.

So in summary, I think that although there are many disadvantages of the iPOD, the advantages out-weigh them. Having an iPOD, or any kind of portable MP3 player gives you freedom and more choice when and what to listen to.

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